Farmers to the end
by nr 25 peter
Summary: AU. What if Ross wanted to eliminate the whole Marston family? Can John survive? Can romance bloom from guilt?
1. Chapter 1

**Farmers to the end part 1**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dead Redemption; if I did John wouldn't have died.**

In West Elizabeth, just outside Blackwater we see a man on a white stallion riding towards Beechers Hope with a happy face.

"I can't believe it, after all this time I will finally see my family again." John Marston said to his horse. "But I wonder what Ross meant with what he said"

_Flashback:_

"_Dutch is dead, I've done everything you asked Ross! I've hunted everyone down, now release my son and my wife!" John Marston said standing next to the mangled and shot body of Dutch van der Linde in front of the bureau's office in Blackwater._

_Edgar Ross only smiled. "Your family is fine Mr. Marston; _we_ didn't harm a hair on their heads. Some of my deputy's are bringing them home right now as we speak. So go, you're no longer needed here."_

"_Good." John Marston whistled for his horse and climbed on his back. Just when he was about to give his horse the spurs Ross called out to him._

"_Oh. And Mr. Marston, say hello to your family, _if_ you see them."_

_Not knowing what to say, John put his horse in a run out of Blackwater. Towards home_

_End Flashback._

John was so lost in his thoughts and what Ross meant, that he didn't noticed the dark clouds coming from Beechers Hope.

"Whoa! What's wrong boy!" He said after the horse balked to get his attention. The horse answered in return to throw his head forwards while neighing urgently.

When John looked in front of him and saw those dark clouds, only one thing flew through his mind. 'They look just like those when Bonnie's barn was on fire.'

He spurred his horse towards his home, praying that his family is safe.

When he arrived at the top of the hill that looks down on Beechers hope, his blood ran cold and horror crept onto his face.

The barn, the house and the grain silo are all in flames with thick black smoke spewing out the buildings.

"Abigail! Jack! Uncle!" John cried out while jumping of his horse and running down the hill.

He ran straight towards his home while thinking; 'please don't be dead. Please don't be dead.'

He stopped in front of his front door, or where his front door was supposed to be. Now there were flames that stopped John from entering his house. He looked around for something to break down the weakened door so he could get inside; he took the Bolt Action Rifle from his back and jammed the butt end in his front door. The door broke down and John entered his home.

"Abigail! Jack! Where are you?" John yelled against the smoke that drifted in his house. He coughed when he got a mouthful of it but kept going forward.

"Pa? Is that you?" A voice called out somewhere out of the black smoke.

"Jack! Keep talking son! I'll follow your voice." John said while trying to find his wife and son in the flames and smoke.

"Where down here Pa! Please come quick, Ma is hurt!"

John stumbled through the living room towards the bedroom of him and Abigail.

When he got there, he saw a sight that would follow him in his nightmares for years.

Jack was tied up sitting in front of the bed on the floor, and Abigail was on the bed. But was tied up with her arms and legs at the corners of the bed.

'They raped her!' flew through his mind before he moved inside the room. He cut Jack free first and said. "In front of the house stands a white stallion, see if there's some other horses in the nearby we can use. But don't do anything stupid." He gave Jack his High power pistol before he left.

John then turned to his wife; he swallowed before he walked towards the bed. He didn't believe that she would be still alive when he hears a groan. He was by her side in an instant. "Darling? Are you alive?" He whispered,

"John? Is that you?" Abigail moaned.

"Yes it's me darling, hang on. I'll get you and Jack out of here." John made a movement towards her tied up hands before Abigail spoke again. This time in a stronger voice.

"It's no use John; I'm as dead as Uncle. The deputies made sure of that before the set the place on fire."

John only had heard her spoke like this a few time in his lifetime and knew there was nothing that he or anyone could say or do to convince her otherwise. The only thing he could think of to say was; "Uncle is dead?"

"Shot him in the head when they tried to tie me and Jack up, he was defending us John. Said that he would kill them all if they touched us" Abigail's mouth formed a strange smile and John could see that her teeth where all red from blood, some even dribbled from a corner of her smile.

John could feel tears burning in his eyes, but knew they didn't were from the smoke that was filling the room.

"Abigail, please. Don't die, I beg you" Pleaded John with tears in his eyes and started to cut the rope that held his wife on the bed.

Abigail shook her head again. "It's too late for me John, save Jack and yourself. Hide an live a nice life."

"No! No Abigail! You'll get through this, please. Just hang on when I get you out of those ropes and we all go to the Macfarlane's Ranch. They will patch you up, you'll see."

While he knew in his head that his wife was right, his heart would say that what she said was bogus. So he got her free and carried her outside.

"Jack! Where are you boy! Jack!" John shouted when he set one foot outside the house. Sound of hooves made him turn towards the barn, in a blaze of flames two horses and one rider rode through the main barn door. John recognized his own horse in a second and knew that the rider was Jack. "Jack! Are you mad! What the hell possessed you to get a horse from the barn that was on fire?" Yelled John when his son was right in front of him. "I told you not to do anything stupid!" Jack jumped off his father's horse and got on the other.

"I thought you always said: 'Don't do what I say but do what I do' Pa." Jack held out his arms to reach for his mother. John, who got the hint, carefully got Abigail on the horse in front of Jack. Jack reached around his mother to keep her steady, together they rode towards the MacFarlane's.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Farmers to the end part 2

It was nightfall at the time they reached the ranch, they couldn't risk riding too fast and making Abigail's wounds worse and they needed to constantly on the lookout for Ross's men.

When they were past the bridge of the gate, John jumped off his horse and ran for the main house. "Miss Macfarlane! Miss Macfarlane! Bonnie!" The front door of the house flew open and a woman with blond hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing man's clothes comes running out of the house.

"John Marston! What the heck is going on?" Asks Bonnie MacFarlane while running towards John. She looks behind him and sees Jack and Abigail. She gasps. "What the hell happened to you!" She turns to Amos, who also came running towards the yelling. "Amos, get the doctor and tell him to get here as quick as possible. We will be in the guestroom of the house." Amos nodded and ran towards the doctor's house while Bonnie turned her attention back to John, Jack and Abigail. She sees that Jack must have given Abigail to John because now John had Abigail in his arms. While Jack get off his horse, Bonnie turns around and walks back towards the house.

Bonnie held the door open and pointed where John the guestroom was.

"Thank you Bonnie." John says thankfully while caring Abigail inside.

"Don't thank me just yet Mr. Marston, it ain't over yet." Countered Bonnie while walking inside the guestroom. John didn't respond to that, but knew she was right.

The doctor came in the guestroom within seconds and ushered John and Jack out of the room to wait downstairs in the living room, Bonnie stayed behind to help the doctor.

"John?"

John paused on his way down the stairs when his name was called. He looked up and saw Bonnie at the top of the stairs. "Yeah?" He croaked. His throat was thick with emotions. He also saw that Bonnie's eyes were full with emotions, but he couldn't decipher them from this distance. It could be anything.

"We will do our best to save her John, I promise." Her voice sounded stronger than her eyes showed but he knew that she would. She actually didn't had to say it, but he was happy she did.

Not in a state to answer with words, John just nodded and walked downstairs while Bonnie hurried back to the doctor and Abigail.

In the living room John saw Jack sitting on the couch with his head down, he looked up when John entered. Father and son looked for a while at each other, before John walked towards the couch and put his arm around his son. Jack broke down in sobs and leaned into the embrace of his father. John looked at the great grandfather clock, it was almost 9 PM.

'And so the waiting begins.' He thinks sadly.

_**F.T.T.E.-**_

John stirs from a sound. He opens his eyes and sees that he's still on the couch in the living room with Jack. John looks around and sees that it's past one AM, so only one candle was burning in the room and gave a bit of light. He looks at his son, Jack was still sound asleep, tear streaks running down his face. John feels a pang of guilt shooting through him. 'How much pain can I bring my own family?'

A sound from the stairs rounded John from his thoughts, he saw Bonnie and the doctor coming down the stairs. They where whispering about something, but it didn't looked like something good. In a flash of moonlight he saw that Bonnie also had tear stains and she was whispering furiously with the doctor. The doctor however, calmly whispered answered back. John's gut was telling him that something was wrong. When Bonnie closed the door after the doctor, she finally noticed that John was awake and looking at her.

"John…." Her voice sounded tired, sad, but mostly like she was apologizing for something.

"Miss Macfarlane….?" His voice sounded also tired, sad, but mostly anxious.

Bonnie looked him right in his eyes and then he knew.

No…

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Farmers to the end part 3.

Bonnie's POV.

Bonnie had seen a lot of sad things as the 'man' of the ranch, she saw people die while falling from the loft of the barn. Seen children die of hunger or thirst when there was drought. She had seen people wasting away when someone close died of the chickenpox. She had heard once how a cow kept calling for her baby that was born dead. All those things made her heart ache, but what she saw in front of her broke her heart and almost tears in her eyes.

The doctor couldn't save Abigail; she had too many wounds and lost too much blood. But to both the doctor and Bonnie's surprise, she had enough strength in her to tell her husband and son goodbye.

And that was what Bonnie was looking at. John Marston saying goodbye to his wife. She herself was standing at the door.

'Why did he have to be dealt such a hand when doing so much good?' Thought Bonnie, thinking about the herd he saved in that storm. Or when he rescued those horses from the barn fire. Even curing the whole land of the undead a few weeks ago. A pang of sorrow filled her chest thinking about her father that was also infected and killed by John. And that he rescued her from William Deke and his gang.

Bonnie shook her head to get rid of the thought of them and decided to go to Jack and make a pot of tea. Wondering when Abigail was telling John the things what she had said to her, or actually was it more of an order. But she would see what would happen.

John's POV.

It was all his fault.

John was scared, very scared. How can he raise a son on his own? Where can they live? They would be in hiding first for a while, in case Ross and his men are looking for him and Jack. Tears burned his eyes when looking at his wife, lying in the bed with bloodstained blankets. It looked like she was sleeping, could it be….?

"I'm not dead yet, John." Abigail groaned. "Get closer, I need to save my energy."

John walked to the bed, and knelt at the side of the bed where Abigail was lying.

"Abigail, I….I am.." He couldn't continue. The guilt had robbed him of his voice.

"John! Stop apologizing! It wasn't your fault, you could never have seen this coming." Said Abigail, she took a few deep breaths. "Now, shut up and listen. I need you to do me a favor."

John, who was a bit surprised that his wife outburst in her condition, listen carefully.

"I need you to promise me a few thing John, one of those thing is that you don't come after me before you time." Abigail looked her husband right in his eyes. "Do you understand me John?"

John nodded. "Then promise me." She whispered. "I promise." John whispered back.

Abigail nodded weakly. "Good, now. I want you and Jack to stay here. To live here for a while. At least till the whole thing with Ross blows over."

John didn't knew what to say. He couldn't be a burden for Bonnie and the ranch, and what if Ross and his men come here? Everyone will be killed.

"Abigail…that isn't-" He was cut off.

"I already talked to Bonnie, she said it was fine and that she would hide you when the government came. She would fight for you tooth and nail."

John looked surprised at his wife who tried to make a meaningless motion with her shoulders.

"Her words, not mine. And that I like about her." Abigail smiled a bit. "But promise me John, that you and Jack will be safe."

John was a bit puzzled by Abigail's words, but let it slide. "I promise."

Abigail nodded, more weakly this time. They both sensed that the time was nearly up.

"The last thing I want you to promise me, is that you find love again."

John wanted to protest to this, he would never forget her or try to replace her. But Abigail beat him to the punch.

"I don't say that I want you to forget about me John! Or to replace me for another woman, but I want you to be happy, and I don't want you to get all old alone and cranky."

John couldn't protest against that, so he sighed and took her hand while he nodded. "I promise. I promise to do all those things."

Abigail smiled for one last time before her eyes closed and her hand went limp.

And for a few minutes, the only thing John could do was cry.

Normal POV

After a while John dried his eyes and walked downstairs. When he came in the living room, he saw Jack crying while being hugged by Bonnie. Bonnie looked up and a question was seen in her eyes. John nodded to her unspoken question and sat at the other side of Jack. Wordlessly he threw an arm around his son. Jack clung to him like a child while sobbing furiously and the same time Bonnie released her embrace. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen, she paused a sec to look at the great grandfather clock and saw that it was almost four in the morning. 'Better make some breakfast.' She thought while looking back at the two Marston's on her couch. 'They would need their strength, but I'll just make some tea and toast. They wouldn't want to eat much.' And with that idea she walked into the kitchen.

TBC

**A/N I'm sorry guys and girls that the chapters are so short. But I haven't got much (or any) idea's for this story. So if you got an idea, let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4

Farmers to the end part 4.

After the breakfast Bonnie made, John buried Abigail on the hill behind the house while Jack made a cross with her name on it. Though for safety reasons Bonnie, Jack and John agreed to leave her last name blank. In case someone from Ross's posse or someone else from the government saw it.

The burial itself was a small thing, only John, Jack and Bonnie were there. No preacher or anything, as they kept this as quite as possible to not arouse any unwanted attention.

John dug and closed the grave himself and Jack put the cross at the head of the grave.

Bonnie herself, kept quiet and stood there. Hoping to be any support to the two men.

After the burial, Bonnie took the two inside and made them take a warm bath and to bed. They couldn't be seen to anyone outside herself, Amos, the doctor and the people of the farm itself for safety reasons.

Bonnie hoped that the rest would help the two wounded men in her house.

Bonnie directed Jack to a bedroom two doors down her own bedroom while she told John then to sleep in her bed. Though he put up a struggle.

**Bonnie's PoV.**

"I can't sleep in your bed Bonnie!" John exclaimed.

"Why? What's wrong with my bed?" Bonnie asked confused. She looked at her bed, A two persons bed, with white sheets, grey pillows and was standing just a few feet from the door.

"There's nothing wrong with your bed." John answered flustered.

"Then why can't you sleep in my bed?"

"I can't sleep in _your_ bed because I can't kick you out off your own room!"

Bonnie sighed. '_Sometime he's too much off a gentleman for his own good. You've done a good job Abigail._' She thought with a smile. Although it was a really small one.

"You're **not** _kicking_ me out off my own room John. I'm giving you a proper place to rest while I make one of the guestrooms ready." She laughed at the sigh of relief from John.

"Alright Bonnie, I'll rest here for a spell." And with that he walked into the room.

Bonnie just nodded and closed the door.

She was walking towards Jack's room when there was a blood curling, skin crawling scream.

Coming from Jack's room.

Before Bonnie knew what she was doing she was sprinting the few paces when she was almost barreled over.

'_John!'_

She was at the door when she knew what almost run her over. John, of course, also heard the scream and knew it was Jack who screamed.

She looked into the room and saw the poor boy, crying on his father's shoulder.

"They….mum….Uncle….the fire…." It was the most what the boy could say in his hysteric conditions.

John did his best to calm his son down, but Bonnie saw he was struggling. So she stepped around him, and softly embraced Jack.

Jack recognized a womanly touch, turned around and clamped himself onto Bonnie and cried even harder. Bonnie just rubbed his back and let Jack cried it all out.

It was the best to let grief out trough tears, Bonnie knew that as no other.

John was sitting next to them, looking between them and his shoes. Looking a little lost.

Bonnie pitied in him and tried to gain his attention while she tried not to disturb the crying

Jack. It took a few tries, and then even more to get her point across. It wouldn't take long

before John came back with plate with three cups of warm tea on it. It took some convincing

to make Jack let loose off Bonnie, but eventually they were all silently sipping their tea.

Suddenly bonnie got an idea, and went quickly towards the door, she turned around and said; " I just got an idea. I'll be back in a few shakes." And with that she turned back and walked out the room.

TBC

Angry lil' elf: thank you, and I will take your sugestion to heart, like RedDead 12 (and thanks for the review) suggested. It will only take a bit longer because my chapters won't be that long because of reasons.

**A/n I wanted to thank everyone that has read and/ or reviewed this story. You make the writing worthwhile and I'm sorry for the lack of update in the last year.**


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